1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a piece of furniture, particularly one which is constructed out of a plurality of rib units, each rib unit having a pair of substantially parallel faces, at least one functional surface and a leg or supporting member so that, when arranged in a predetermined, face-to-face relationship and secured by means of one or more connecting rods, the functional surface of each rib unit defines a surface of a furniture piece, such as a chair or bench seat and back support, while each leg or supporting member is offset from the neighboring leg or support member according to a pattern which, when combined with the legs or supporting members of the other rib units, provides support for the entire furniture piece and its occupant.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There are numerous methods for the construction of furniture from rigid materials, such as wood, metal or plastic, and a similar multitude of furniture pieces characteristic of each method of construction. In particular, this invention relates to a type of furniture constructed from a series of repeating rib units linked or secured by means of one or more connecting rods Within this particular art, two prior patents may be of interest.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,235,473 discloses an item of furniture constructed form a series of rigid rib units and one or more connecting rods and spacers so that, when the rib units, connecting rods and spacers are arranged and secured in the correct order, the rib units form a functional surface, such as a chair seat or back, and a support structure to bear the weight of the furniture item and its occupant The ""473 patent, however, discloses only one means for providing a sufficient support structure. According to the ""473 patent, the support structure of the furniture is achieved by alternating between two or three different types of rib units, each of which has a configuration distinct from the other(s). When these two or three different types or configurations of rib units are arranged and secured in alternating fashion, the combined contributions of each type of rib unit are sufficient to support the entire weight of the chair or bench and its occupant(s). Note, however, that each of the rib units must be of sufficient width and strength, the gaps between rib units of sufficient narrowness, and the connecting rod of sufficient rigidity so that the supporting structure does not collapse when force is applied to the furniture in a direction which is both downward and perpendicular to the plane of the rib units. The ""473 patent does not disclose any other means for achieving a sufficient supporting structure. such as one using narrower or more flexible rib units, a more flexible connecting rod, or only one type or configuration of rib unit.
Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 3,834,759 discloses an item of furniture constructed from a series of rigid rib units made of wire and one or more connecting rods and spacers so that, when the rib units, connecting rods and spacers are arranged and secured, the rib units again form a rigid functional surface, such as a chair seat and back, and a support structure to bear the weight of the furniture item and its occupant. The ""759 patent, however, also discloses only one means for providing a sufficient structure to support the weight of the furniture item and its occupant(s). According to the ""759 patent, support for the rib units is achieved by using one or more curved connecting rods. The curvature of the connecting rods places each of the rib units in a vertical plane slightly differently from any of its neighbors. When arranged in this way, the resulting structure is better enabled to support forces which are directed downwards and toward the side of the chair, since any force directed both downwards and toward the side of the chair will not collapse the structure but instead will be supported by the rib units which are not perpendicular to the sidewards component of the force. In other words, the curvature of the connecting rods contributes significantly to the ability of the resulting structure to bear loads and forces when the item is used as a piece of furniture. Note, however, that, without the benefit of a curved connecting rod, the resulting structure would simply collapse when a sufficient force is applied in a direction which is both downward and toward the side of the chair, that is, perpendicular to the plane of the rib units The ""759 patent does not disclose any other means for achieving a sufficient supporting structure, such as one using parallel (rather than radial) rib units.
It is an object of this invention to provide a piece of furniture constructed of a plurality of similarly configured rib units, one or more connecting rods and means for spacing and securing the rib units along the length of the connecting rod or rods.
It is a further object of this invention to provide an improved means for supporting the weight of the piece of furniture and its occupants without the use of two or three different types of rib units and without requiring the use of curved connecting rod5.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a piece of furniture which is easily manufactured, assembled and shipped, in that the piece of furniture is constructed primarily from rib units of a similar configuration.
Other objects will become apparent from the description of this invention, as described and claimed below.
The furniture piece comprises a plurality of rib units, each-rib unit having a pair of substantially parallel faces, at least one functional surface and a leg or supporting member so that, when arranged in a predetermined, face-to-face relationship and secured by means of one or more connecting rods, the functional surface of each rib unit defines a surface of a furniture piece, such as a chair or bench seat and back support, while each leg or supporting member is offset from the neighboring leg or support member according to a pattern which, when combined with the legs or supporting members of the other rib units, provides support for the entire furniture piece and its occupant.